The desperate request of Atsu’s wife, the footballer who disappeared in Turkey after the earthquake: “Time is running out”

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Christian Atsu is 31 years old and is part of the Hatayspor squad from Turkey (Reuters)
Christian Atsu is 31 years old and is part of the Hatayspor squad from Turkey (Reuters)

Four days after the earthquake that hit Turkey already Syria, the rescue teams continue to work in the most affected areas and day by day continue to find survivors trapped in the rubble. This gives hope to the loved ones of those who have disappeared since the earthquake, as in the case of the soccer player Christian Atsuof whom an erroneous rescue was even reported.

The whereabouts of the African player who passed through Chelsea of the Premier League, and who was currently part of the squad of the Hatayspor from Turkey, It is uncertain. A few days ago, the Ghanaian embassy had reported that the athlete had been found alive, but the following day that information was denied since it had been a mistake. In this context, the one who spoke for the first time was his wife, Claire Rupio.

I still pray and believe he’s alive”, assured the woman in dialogue with the BBC, while asking for greater collaboration for the rescue teams. “I appeal to the Hatayspor club, the Turkish authorities and the British government to send resources to pull people out of the rubble, especially to my partner and father of my children”.

The woman who agreed with Atsu in 2012 explained that the player’s agent, Nana Sechere, is in Turkey working to find him alive. In this sense, he explained that they have the information that the former Chelsea is among the rubble of the building where he lived and that the big problem is that the rescuers do not have the resources and tools to penetrate the ruins: “They know where the building is and they are doing their best to rescue everyone. They know that there are still people trapped under the rubble, but the problem is that they don’t have the necessary equipment to get them out”, Atsu’s wife insisted.

“They need the equipment to get them out; they can’t get that deep without the equipment. And time is running out”, she maintained anguished while waiting for news.

The dead have exceeded 22,000 and the number will rise as the hours go by (Reuters)
The dead have exceeded 22,000 and the number will rise as the hours go by (Reuters)

This Friday the Olympic movement reported that it will unlock one million dollars (940,000 euros) as a matter of urgency to help athletes, refugees and displaced people in the regions affected by the earthquake on Monday in Turkey and in Syria, the IOC announced this Friday afternoon. The Olympic body based in Lausanne, the Olympic Council of Asia and the European Olympic Committees will allocate $250,000 each, while the Olympic Refuge Foundation (ORF) created in 2017 by the IOC will provide an additional $260,000 (243,000 euros), details the organization.

The death toll by the powerful earthquake that struck almost 100 hours ago Syria y Turkey amounted to 22.375local authorities reported. While there are at least 80,768 people injured. In turn, the head of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesusand the humanitarian officer of the HIM, Martin GriffithsThey announced that they will visit the area soon. The President of the International Committee of the Red Cross, Mirjana Spoljaricis already in AleppoIn Syria.

The earthquake is the most important in Turkey since 1939, when 33,000 people died in the eastern province of Erzincan. For now, the provisional balance stands at more than 22.000 personasbut experts consider that the balance will still rise significantly.

Keep reading:

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